Machine for conveying and stacking papers



J n 27, 1967 o. DONAHUE ETAL 3,327,597

MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING PAPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1964 QO/E. EEA/PE/VS June 27, 1967 L. O. DONAHUE ETAL.

MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING PAPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1964 INVENTORS 4/50 0. 00/1 4405 ew 5. swez/vs June 27, 1967 L. o. DONAHUE ETAL 3,327,597

MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING PAPERS Filed April 23, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet I NVENTORS 450 0. 00/V4A 0 BY 20V 5. 554 25/1 5 United States Patent 3,327,597 MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND STACKING PAPERS Leo 0. Donahue and Roy E. Behrens, Highland, Califi, assignors to Graphic Engineers, Inc., San Bernardino, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 361,946 9 Claims. (Cl. 93-93) The present invention relates to apparatus for conveying, stacking and counting papers delivered by a folder or other machine, operating either separately or as the final unit of a sheet, or web-fed perfecting press. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement on the apparatus shown and described in our US. Patent No. 3,117,500, which was granted Jan. 14, 1964.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism of the class described, which is extremely simple and positive in action, accurate, reliable, trouble-free, flexible in operation, and adaptable to virtually any make or model of press, machine folder, collator, mailer, stitcher, or similar machine that delivers sheets of paper or other flexible material.

Another important object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this type embodying a new and greatly simplified cam arrangement for actuating the mechanism, and an associated control mechanism for adjusting the cam to regulate the number of papers going into each stack.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus of the class described, wherein the operating mechanism is driven by its own variable speed motor, which is electrically synchronized with the motor of the associated press or other machine and which is adapted, at the same time, to be adjusted to run at any desired speed ratio relative to the operating speed of the associated machine. Thus, while the present apparatus normally runs at one twenty-fifth the speed of the as sociated machine, it might be adjusted to run at twice this speed, or half the speed, and by virtue of the aforementioned electrical synchronization, the present apparatus will maintain the selected speed ratio for all operating speeds. An advantage of this arrangement is that it permits increasing or decreasing the spacing between papers, known in the trade as the shingle because of the shingle-like appearance of the papers coming 01f the press conveyor, and this is important where the papers on the press conveyor are spaced too close together for proper operation of the present apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved interceptor for engaging and holding back the papers on the supply conveyor, thereby opening up gaps in the otherwise unbroken ribbon of papers, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the machine. The new interceptor of the present invention has a more positive releasing and re-engaging action than in the one shown and described in our patent.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for facilitating the insertion of papers into the stack at the bottom thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor, stacker and counter of the class described having a jogger on the delivery mechanism which straightens out and aligns the papers on the conveyor, so that they form a neat, compact stack.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

3,327,597 Patented June 27, 1967 FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the same as seen from 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view looking down onto the supply conveyor, as seen at 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken at 4 4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional URE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at 6-6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 7-7 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at 8-8 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at 9-9 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at 19-10 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 11 is a schematic drawing showing the three pairs of cam disks which enable the machine to deliver any one of three different counts of papers into the view taken at 55 in FIG- stacks, the said cam disks being arranged in separate pairs for clarity in describing their mode of operation.

The machine of the invention comprises a rectangular, box-like supporting frame 12 having casters 14 at the four corners thereof, and a screw jack 15 intermediate its ends, which can be turned down to engage the floor, and thereby lock the machine against unwanted rolling on its casters. The frame structure 12 consists of laterally spaced pairs of horizontal top and bottom members 16 and 18, which are connected together by vertical angle irons 20, 21, and intermediate steel bars 22. Transverse angle irons 23 join the tWo sides together. Lying on to of the two top side members 16 and bridging the gap between them is a horizontal table surface 24, which constitutes the loading table. Horizontal members 25 are attached to the two vertical members 21, 22, and fixed to each of the members 25 and 16 is a vertical member 26.

The ends of the members 25 project beyond the vertical members 22, and swingably connected to the projecting ends thereof by a transverse shaft 30 is a belt conveyo 31. The conveyor 31 includes an elongated supporting framework made up of laterally spaced parallel side bars 32 which are connected to a top plate 33. Transverse shafts 34 and 35 are journaled at opposite ends of the conveyor frame in bearings 36, and mounted on the shafts are pulley wheels 40, around which belts 41 are trained.

The free, right-hand end of the conveyor 31 is adjustable in height to bring it up to the level of the delivery conveyor 42 of the printing press or other machine With which the present invention is associated. Preferably, the outer end of the conveyor 42 is slightly higher than the adjacent end of conveyor 31, and the continuous line of overlapping papers carried by the conveyor 42 is delivered onto the receiving end of conveyor 31 in a smooth, uninterrupted flow. Conveyor 31 then carries the papers down to the bottom end of a revolving drum, which inverts the papers and carries them up to a stacking station 39 at the top of the table.

A pair of laterally spaced wheels 43 are journaled on the free ends of two adjustable arms 44, which are swingably supported at their other ends on a transverse shaft 45 extending across the right-hand end of the conveyor 31 between two vertical supports 46. The wheels 43 ride side-by-side on the top surface of the line of overlapping papers on conveyor 42 at a point directly over the trailing edge of each paper as the leading edge of the said paper feels the first tug of the conveyor 31, and the weight of the wheels holds the said trailing edge of the paper in frictional contact with the moving belts of the conveyor 42. The increased frictional driving engagement of the conveyor 42 on the trailing edge of the paper due to pressure exerted by the wheels 43, causes the paper to continue to travel with the conveyor 42, and to resist the tug of the conveyor 31, until the trailing edge of the paper has cleared the wheels 43.

Just as the trailing edge of the paper moves clear of the wheels 43, the leading edge of the said paper moves under another pair of wheels 52 mounted on an axle 51, the ends of which are slidably confined within slots 50 in the upright supports 46. The axle 51 and wheels 52 are thus free to rise and fall within the confines of the slots 50 as they ride over the varying thicknesses of papers carried on the conveyor 31. The weight of the wheels 52 and axle 51 resting on the leading edge of the paper causes the paper to be frictionally engaged by the conveyor belts 4-1 and carried along therewith. Thus, the papers are carried along by the press conveyor 42 until the trailing edge of each paper passes out from under the wheels 43, at which point the leading edge of the said paper is engaged by wheels 52 and is carried along by the conveyor 31. If the conveyor 31 is caused to run faster than the press conveyor 42, the shingle of the papers is extended to provide greater spacing between papers, whereas if the conveyor 31 is caused to run slower than conveyor 42, the shingle is closed up to give a closer spacing between papers.

Mounted on the conveyor 31 just ahead of the lower pulley wheels 40 is a jogger 53. The jogger 53' consists of two laterally spaced, elongated, side plates 54 and 54' which are supported just above the belts 41 and are pivoted at their lower ends on supporting brackets 55 for horizontal swinging movement. The brackets 55 are slidably mounted on a transverse shaft 56 extending across the top of the conveyor 31, to permit adjustment of the spacing between the plates 54, 54' to correspond to the Width of the papers. The shaft 56 is supported at its ends in vertical members 60 that are attached to the side members 32.

The side members 54, 54' extend upwardly along the top surface of the conveyor 31 in a slightly diverging relationship to receive the stream of papers between them. The top member 54, as viewed in FIGURE 3, is connected at its right-hand end to a bracket 61 which is mounted on a transverse shaft 62, and the latter is slidably supported at one end in an upright member 63. The other end of the shaft 62 is attached to a lever arm 64 which is pivoted on an upright angle iron 65. A motor 66 is supported underneath the conveyor 31 between the members 63 and 6-5, and this motor drives the lever arm 64 through a crank 70 and pitman 71. The one member 54 is thus oscillated through a small angle at high speed and this tends to tap any projecting papers back into place. The right-hand end of the stationary side plate 54 is held by an anchor pin 69. The bracket 61 and anchor pin 69 can be interchanged if desired, to make the plate 54 stationary and plate 54 movable.

At the lower left-hand end of the conveyor 31, the stream of papers is delivered onto a conveyor consisting of four laterally spaced conveyor belts 72, which are trained around pulleys 73 mounted on the transverse shaft 30. The shaft 30 is rotatably supported at its ends in bearings 74, and the shafts 30 and 34 are connected together, so that they are driven in the same direction of rotation and at the same speed by means of a chain 75 trained around sprockets 76 and 77, as best shown in FIGURE 4.

The shaft 30 is driven by a variable speed electric motor 80 which is mounted on the frame 12 between the two bottom side members 18. The motor 80 has an integral speed reduction gear box 81, the output shaft of which has a sprocket 82 mounted thereon which drives a chain 83. The chain 83 is also trained around the sprocket 34 on the shaft 30.

The motor is supplied with alternating current from an A.C. generator or other electrical timing device (not shown) on the press, which electrically synchronizes the speed of the motor 80 to the operating speed of the press. Thus, the present machine is driven at a constant ratio with respect to the press speed. The motor 80 is also adjustable to vary its speed ratio with respect to the press, and when this has been done, the newly adjusted speed ratio is maintained by the aforementioned electrical synchronization.

The endless conveyor belts 72 are trained around four groups of idler pulleys 73, 85, 86 and 87, and are then wrapped around 0ne-half the circumference of a drum 90. The belts 72, where they pass around the drum 90, overlie another group of four lateral-1y spaced conveyor belts 91, which also pass around the drum 90 and around idler pulleys 92 (see (FIG. 4). The drum 90 is of relatively large diameter and extends substantially the full width of the frame 12 adjacent the one end thereof. Idlers 92 are much smaller in diameter than the drum 90, and the tops of the drum 90 and idlers 92 are substantially tangent to the plane of the table top 24. In passing from the top of the drum 90 to the idlers 92, the belts 91 slide over the top of the table 24.

The idler 92 may be a single roller, or it may consist of a plurality of axially aligned rollers that are spaced apart on a shaft 93, which is rotatably supported at each end in suitable bearings mounted on the insides of the top members 16.

The drum 90' has circular end plates 94 that are mounted at their centers on a horizontal shaft 95, and the latter is journaled at its ends in bearings 96 that are attached to the members 26. On one end of the drum 90, there is a sprocket 100 fixed to the shaft 95, and trained around this sprocket is a chain 101. Chain 10'1 passes under a tensioning idler 102, and also passses around a large sprocket 103 which is mounted on a cam shaft 104. The cam shaft 104 extends tranversely across the width of the machine just under the table 24, and is rotatably supported in suitable hearings on the frame members 22. Sprocket members 103 has four times the number of teeth as sprocket 100, and therefore turns at one-quarter the speed of the latter. Mounted on the cam shaft 104 are two laterally spaced cam assemblies 105 and 106 (see FIG. 5), the purpose and method of operation of which will be described presently. Cam assembly 105 controls the operation of an interceptor 110, while cam assembly 106 controls the operation of a limit stop 111, both of which will now be described.

The interceptor 110 is a device that periodically intercepts the flow of papers coming off the conveyor 31 onto the conveyor belts 72, and its purpose is to open up a gap in the stream of papers so as to permit the limit stop 111 to rise through the said gap to start a new stack. The limit stop 111, on the other hand, stops the papers as they come up over the top of the drum 90 onto the table top 24 and the papers are inserted into the stack at the bottom end thereof, as is explained in more detail in our issued patent.

The limit stop 111 preferably comprises a bar 112 which extends transversely across the frame just beneath the loading table 24. The bar 112 is attached to one end of a pair of laterally spaced arms 113, the other end of said arms being mounted on a sleeve 114 that is free to turn on a shaft 115 extending through the center of the sleeve. The shaft 115 is attached at its ends to the top side members 16. The arms 113 extend parallel to the conveyor belts 91 and the free ends thereof swing in a vertical plane. The bar 112 has fingers 116 projecting upwardly from the top edge thereof, and these fingers project through slots 117 in the table top 24 between the conveyor belts 91.

During the normal stacking operations, the limit stop 111 is raised so that the fingers 116 stand in the path of papers travelling on the conveyor belts 91. As the papers contact the fingers 116, they are stopped and the next succeeding paper is pushed underneath the one above it, thereby building the stack from the bottom. When the stack reaches its predetermined count of papers, the lim it stop 111 is lowered, and the fingers 116 are retracted below the surface of the table top 24, allowing the stack to move along the conveyor belts 91 to that portion of the table top beyond the pulleys 92. As the stack clears the limit stop 111, it is followed by a gap in the papers, and the limit stop is raised to insert the fingers 116 through this gap so as to engage the leading edge of the next succeeding paper.

The limit stop 111 is raised and lowered by the cam assembly 106, which is engaged by a cam follower in the form of a roller 120, that is journaled on one of the arms 113. The roller 120 rides on the periphery of the cam 106, and is adapted to drop down into one or another of cam stations 121, 122 or 123. The cam stations 121, 122 and 123 of cam assembly 106 are in the form of recess into which the roller 120 drops when the cam station passes under the roller. In the machine shown in the drawings, each of the cam assemblies has three sets of cam tracks arranged side-by-side, each track providing a different cam station arrangement. In FIGURE 11, the three cam tracks of assembly 106 are designated 106, 106 and 106". Likewise, the three cam tracks of assembly 105 are designed 105, 105" and 105".

The cam stations of assembly 105 are designated 124, 125 and 126, and these are in the form of outwardly projecting lobes that lift the roller 130 which rides on the periphery of assembly 105. Roller 130 is journaled on another arm 131, and the latter is operatively connected to the interceptor 110, as will be described presently. Each of the cam tracks is in the nature of a separate cam disk, and is shown as such in FIGURE 11, although the cam assemblies 105 and 106 could both be made as single bodies, with the cam stations molded or machined therein.

Cam tracks 105' and 106 each have single cam stations 124 and 121, respectively. Cam tracks 105" and 106" each have two diametrically opposed cam stations 125 and 122, respectively. Cam tracks 105' and 106" each have four equidistantly spaced cam stations, 126 and 123, respectively. In addition to the cam tracks 105', 105 and 105", cam assembly 105 has a blank track 127, which is shown in FIGURE 5, but not depicted in FIGURE 11, since it is nothing more than a narrow, cylindrical section at the left-hand end of the assembly. The purpose of the blank track 127 is to provide an uninterrupted surface on which the roller 130 can ride, in order to allow the machine to convey papers from the press conveyor 42 to the loading table 24 without stacking the papers.

Each of the cam assemblies 105 and 106 is mounted on a sleeve 132 which surrounds the shaft 104. As best shown in FIGURE 7, the sleeve 132 is connected to the shaft by a key 133 so that the sleeve rotates as one with the shaft, yet is freely slidable along the length thereof. The key 133 is seated in a keyway in the shaft 104 and projects outwardly through a longitudinally extending slot in the sleeve 132.

As the cam assembly 106 rotates with the shaft 104, roller 120 rides on the periphery of the selected cam track 106, 106" or 106", as the case may be, and while the roller is riding on the top of the periphery of its cam track, the limit stop 111 is held up so that the fingers 115 stop the papers at the loading station. When one of the cam stations 121, 122 or 123 passes under the roller 120, the roller drops down into the recess, carrying the arm 113 with it, and thereby retracting the limit stop 111 so as to permit the completed stack to be carried away from the stacking station.

The interceptor 110 is actuated by the other cam assembly 105. As cam assembly 105 rotates with the shaft 104, roller 130 rides on the outer periphery of the selected cam track, and when one of the cam stations 124, 125 or 126 passes under the roller 130, the arm 131 is raised, which actuates the interceptor 110, as will be described presently.

The two cam assemblies 105, 106 and sleeve 132 are shifted longitudinally along the shaft 104 to place the selected cam tracks under the rollers 120 and 130, by means of a shifting mechanism which is best illustrated in FIGURE 5. As shown in this figure, the sleeve 132 projects to the left beyond the assembly 105, and on this projecting end portion are two axially spaced flanges 134, which define a circumferential groove between them. A yoke 135 on the end of the arm 136 is seated within the groove between flanges 134, and the arm 136 is pivoted at 140 for swinging movement. A link 141 connects the bottom end of the arm 136 to one arm of a bell crank 142. The bell crank 142 is pivoted at 143 to a supporting bracket 144, and the other arm 145 has a handle 146 Which projects through a slot in a frame member 122. As best shown in FIGURE 9, the handle 146 can be seated in any one of four notches 150 to secure the shifting handle in a selected position. By moving the handle 146 to one or another of the top three notches 150, the cam assemblies 105 and 106 can be shifted longitudinally along the shaft 104 to position one or another of the cam tracks under the associated rollers 120, 130.

The purpose of the three sets of cam tracks for the assemblies 105, 106 is to provide three different counts of papers going into each stack, as may be desired. For

example, the machine might be adjusted so that cam tracks 105, 106' will put papers into each stack, whereas cam tracks and 106 produce stacks of 50 papers each, and cam tracks 105" and 106" produce stacks of 25 papers each. The same ratio of papers per stack holds true for all speed ratios of the machine, but the actual number of sheets per stack will vary according to the speed at which the machine is operated relative to the associated folding machine or press. Thus, if the machine is operated at a slow speed, there will be more papers per stack than if the machine is operated at a higher speed.

The bottom notch 150 of the slot in frame member 122 is the setting for handle 146 that shifts the two cam assemblies 105 and 106 to their extreme right-hand position, as seen in FIGURE 5, which places the roller 130 on the blank track 127, and causes the other roller 120 to drop off the cam assembly 106. In this condition, the interceptor is held in the raised position, and the limit stop 111 is dropped to the retracted position. As a consequence, the line of papers continues to travel uninterruptedly from the receiving end of conveyor 31 to the loading table 24, without stacking the papers.

To eliminate interference between the cam assemblies 105, 106 and their respective rollers 130 and when the cam assemblies are shifted, means is provided for lifting the roller clear of the cams. This is done by means of a pair of cams 147 on a shaft 148 (see FIG. 6), which has an operating handle 149 on the outside of the machine, as shown in FIGURE 5. The cams 147 push upwardly against arms 113 and 158 when the handle 149 is turned 180 degrees, and this causes both of the rollers 120 and to be raised clear of their respective cam assemblies so that the cam assemblies can be shifted without interfering with the roller.

The interceptor 110 includes a rotatable shaft 150 which is positioned above the bottom end of the belt conveyor 31 and extends transversely across the width thereof. The shaft 150 is rotatably supported at its ends in brackets 151 that are fixed to the frame uprights 22 and project horizontally therefrom. Surrounding the shaft 150 is a sleeve 152, which encloses the shaft for all but a small portion of its length. At one end of the shaft 150, there is a small arm 153 extending horizontally therefrom, and the bottom end of a connecting rod 154 is attached to the outer end of this arm. The top end of the rod 154 is connected to the free end of an arm 158, which is fixed to and projects horizon-tally from one of a sleeve 155 that is rotatably mounted on the shaft 115 at the left-hand end of. the tube 114, as seen in FIGURE Rigidly attached to the sleeve 152 at longitudinally spaced points along the length thereof, are four rods 156, which extend downwardly from the sleeve 152 and in the direction traveled by the papers, as shown in 'FIGURE 10. At the bottom ends of the rods 156 are fingers 157, which are pivoted at 160 on the rods. The fingers 157 have extensions 161 provided thereon, and the ends of these fingers are connected by links 162 to posts 163, which are screwed into the shaft 150. The posts 163 extend through circumferential slots 164 in the sleeve 152, and these slots provide a limited amount of lost motion between the shaft 150 and sleeve 152 for reasons which will be explained presently. At one end of the sleeve 152, there is an arm 165 (see FIG. 8), the end of which is engageable with a limit stop screw 166 that is threaded through a laterally projecting lug 170 on support member 151. The arm 165 and limit stop screw 166 limit the counterclockwise rotation of the sleeve 152, as seen in FIGURE 10. A spring .171 is attached to the free end of the arm 158 and is anchored to the member 151. This spring exerts a downward pull on the arm 158, holding the roller 130 down against the cam assembly 105.

The operation of the interceptor 110 is as follows. Normally, the rods 156 and fingers 157 are held in the position shown in FIGURE 4, with the fingers 157 extended and raised clear of the papers on the conveyor belt 72. In this condition, the roller 130 is riding on top of one of the cam tracks 155, 105 or 105', and is held against the said cam track by the tension of the spring 171. The push rod 154 holds the arm 153 down, and the shaft 150 is thus held in its extreme clockwise position. As one of the cam stations 124, 125, or 126 passes under the roller 130, the arms 131 and 158 are raised thereby, which pulls upwardly on the arm 153, and thus rocks the shaft 150 in the counter-clockwise direction.

As the shaft 150 rotates counter-clockwise, the sleeve 152 rotates with it, and this causes the interceptor rods 156 to be lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 10. As the rods reach this position, the limit stop arm 165 engages the screw 166, which prevents the sleeve 152 from turning any further in the counter'clockwise direction. However, the slots 164 through which the posts 163 extend allow the shaft 150 to continue turning through a limited angular distance, and this lost motion travel causes the links 162 to swing the fingers 157 down to the angular position shown in FIGURE 10. In this position, the fingers 157 are adapted to engage the leading edge of the papers coming on to the conveyor belts 72, thereby holding back the papers so as to open up a gap in the line.

As the cam station passes beyond the roller 130, the arms 131 and 158 drop back to the position shown in FIGURE 4, pushing the connecting rod 154 downwardly. The first increment of angular travel of the shaft 150, while the posts 168 travel from one end of the slot 164 to the other end thereof, causes the fingers 157 to be straightened out, as shown in phantom lines in FIG- URE 10, and thereafter the sleeve 152 is picked up by the posts 153 and caused to rotate in the clockwise direction with the shaft 150, which raises the rods 156 to the position shown in FIGURE 4. This action of the interceptor 110 provides a quick and positive release of the papers, as well as an equally quick and positive engagement of the papers when the interceptor is lowered.

The operation of the interceptor 110 is timed by the cam assembly to open up gaps in the line of papers which are spaced apart by a distance equal to the number of papers going into the stack. As the line of papers approaches the stacking station 3 9, the papers are inserted into the bottom of the stack until the last paper before the next succeeding gap comes along. At this point, the limit stop 111 is retracted by the cam assembly 106, allowing the stack to travel along on the conveyor belts 91 to the table surface beyond the limit stop, as shown in FIGURE 10. As the gap following the stack of papers passes over the limit stop 111, the latter is thrust upwardly through the said gap and is in position to intercept the next group of papers in the line.

As the papers come off the top of the drum 90, they pass under rollers 172, which are journaled in yokes 173 carried at the ends of arms 174. The arms 174 are pivoted for vertical swinging movement on a transverse shaft 175, which is supported at its ends on bracket plates 175. The rollers 172 press downwardly on the papers to hold them against the belts 91 so as to obtain more traction therewith, during the interval when the papers are being inserted into the bottom of the stack.

The stack is held down lightly by a larger roller 180 which is journaled on the outer end of an arm 181, the,

other end of the arm being pivotally supported on a transverse shaft 182 that is supported at its ends on upright posts 183. The purpose of the roller 180 is to exert a light holding restraint on the stack to prevent the papers from being blown off or otherwise dislodged.

Insertion of the papers into the bottom of the stack is facilitated by two air jets which are discharged from nozzles 184 at the end of two air lines 185. The air lines 185 are connected to an air supply pipe 186, which goes to a compressor or tank of compressed air. The air jets delivered by the nozzles 184 are directed downwardly against the top surface of the papers on the conveyor belts 91, and also in the direction of their travel, and the air jets impinge against the papers closely adjacent the base of the stack. The two streams of air penetrate into the space between the bottom paper of the stack and the paper that is just being inserted, thereby forming a cushion of air which tends to lift the stack slightly so that the weight of the stack does not press down on the paper being inserted. The air film also acts as a lubricant between the adjacent surfaces of the bottom paper in the stack and the paper being inserted, so as to reduce friction between them and thus facilitate the insertion of the papers into the bottom of the stack.

The operation of the machine is believed to be self evident from the foregoing description. The continuous line of overlapping papers delivered by the conveyor belt 42 of the machine folder or perfecting press, with which the present machine is associated, is delivered onto the belt conveyor 31, which carries it down to the belts 72. From this point, the line of papers is carried around the outside of the drum to the top of the table 24, where it is delivered to the stacking station 39. The papers are stopped by the limit stop 111 and are inserted into the bottom of the stack until the predetermined number of papers has been accumulated, at which point the stack is released by the limit stop 111 and allowed to travel along the table top 24 to the holding area beyond the stacking station. The number of papers going into each stack is governed by the selection of the cam track on which the rollers and travel, and this is governed by the position of the handle 146.

While we have shown and described in considerable detail what we believe to be the preferred form of our invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the broad scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for conveying papers received from a machine to a stacking station where said papers are accumulated into stacks of a predetermined number of copies, said machine including a belt conveyor disposed to receive a continuous line of overlapping papers from said machine, a rotating drum arranged to elevate and invert said line of overlapping papers, an interceptor movable into engagement with the leading edge of said paper ahead of said stacking station to hold said papers back and thereby open up a gap in the line of papers, and a limit stop movable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein the leading edges of the papers are engaged as they are delivered to said stacking station, thereby stopping said papers and accumulating the same into a stack, the improvement comprising:

a rotatable cam shaft;

a pair of cam assemblies mounted on said cam shaft for rotation therewith, each of said cam assemblies having a plurality of axially spaced cam tracks provided thereon;

said cam tracks having varying numbers of equidistantly spaced cam stations;

a cam follower associated with each of said cam assemblies and adapted to ride on one of said cam tracks;

linkage means connecting one of said cam followers to said interceptor;

other linkage means connecting the other of said cam followers to said limit stop;

means for driving said cam shaft at a rotational speed that is a function of the drum speed; and

means for shifting the relative positions of said cam assemblies with respect to their associated cam followers, so as to position said cam followers on a selected pair of cam tracks;

said cam assemblies being operable to actuate said interceptor and said limit stop in a timed sequence such that said interceptor opens up gaps in said line of papers at intervals spaced apart by the predetermined number of papers going into each stack, and said limit stop engages the leading edge of the final paper following each of said gaps and releases the stack when the last paper before the next succeeding gap is inserted into the stack.

2. Apparatus for conveying and stacking papers, as in claim 1, wherein said cam shaft is disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and is operatively connected to the drum to be driven thereby; and

a variable speed motor driving said drum and said belt conveyor independently of said machine, whereby the speed of said belt conveyor and drum can be regulated to increase or decrease the spacing between papers relative to the spacing between papers as received from said machine, thereby increasing or decreasing the number of papers accumulated in each stack for any selected cam track.

3. Apparatus for conveying and stacking papers, as in claim 1, wherein each of said cam followers comprises a lever arm disposed above said cam and extending generally parallel to the direction of travel of the papers as they come off said drum, each of said lever arms being pivoted at one end and having a roller journaled thereon intermediate its ends, said roller resting on one or another of said cam tracks, and said linkage means for actuating said interceptor and said limit stop being connected to the free ends of their respective lever arms.

4. Apparatus for conveying and stacking papers, as in claim 1, wherein means is provided for lifting said cam followers from said cam assemblies while the relative positions of said cam assemblies with respect to their associated cam followers is being shifted.

5. In an apparatus for conveying papers received from a machine to a stacking station where said papers are ac cumulated into stacks of a predetermined number of copies, said machine including a belt conveyor disposed to receive a continuous line of overlapping papers from said machine, a rotating drum arranged to elevate and invert said line of overlapping papers, intercepting means movable into engagement with the leading edge of said paper ahead of said stacking station to hold said papers back and thereby open up a gap in the line of papers, and a limit stop movable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein the leading edges of the papers are engaged as they are delivered to said stacking station, thereby stopping said papers and accumulating the same into a stack, the improvement comprising:

a rotatable cam shaft;

a pair of cam assemblies mounted on said cam shaft and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto, each of said cam assemblies having a plurality of axially spaced cam tracks provided thereon;

one of said cam tracks in each of said cam assemblies having a single cam station, and the others having varying numbers of equidistantly spaced cam stations;

a cam follower associated with each of said cam assemblies, each of said cam followers being adapted to ride on only one of said cam tracks at a time;

linkage means connecting one of said cam followers to said intercepting means;

other linkage means connecting the other of said cam followers to said limit stop;

means for driving said cam shaft at a rotational speed that is a function of the drum speed; and i means for shifting said cam assemblies longitudinally along said cam shaft so as to position a selected pair of cam tracks under said cam followers;

said cam assemblies being operable to actuate said interceptor and said limit stop in a timed sequence such that said interceptor opens up gaps in said line of papers at intervals spaced apart by the predetermined number of papers going into each stack, and said limit stop engages the leading edge of the first paper following each of said gaps, and releases the stack when the last paper before the next succeeding gap is inserted into the stack.

6. Apparatus for conveying and stacking papers, as in claim 5, wherein said drum and belt conveyor are driven independently of said machine by a variable speed motor, the speed of said belt conveyor and drum being adjustable to regulate the spacing between papers as compared to thed spacing between papers delivered by said machine; an

means for driving said cam shaft from said drum at a predetermined speed ratio.

7. In an apparatus for conveying papers received from a machine to a stacking station where said papers are :accumulated into stacks of a predetermined number of copies, said machine including a belt conveyor disposed to receive a continuous line of overlapping papers from said machine, a rotating drum arranged to elevate and invert said line of overlapping papers, intercepting means movable into engagement with the leading edge of said paper ahead of said stacking station to hold said papers back and thereby open up a gap in the line of papers, and a limit stop movable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein the leading edges of the papers are engaged as they are delivered tosaid stacking station, thereby stopping said papers and accumulating the same into a stack, said papers being delivered to said stacking station with the leading edge of each paper overlaid by the trailing edge of the paper immediately ahead, and said papers being inserted into the stack at the bottom thereof, the improvement comprising:

means for directing a jet of air downwardly and in the direction of forward travel of said papers, said jet of air impinging on the top surface of said papers at a point closely adjacent the base of the stack, whereby the stack is raised slightly by a cushion of air from said air jet, and said cushion of air serves as a lubricant between the adjacent surfaces of the paper being inserted into the stack and the bottom paper in the stack.

means for driving said cam shaft at a rotational speed that is a function of the drum speed; and means for shifting said cam assemblies longitudinally q l i l 8. Apparatus for use with a machine to accumulate the papers delivered thereby into stacks of a predetermined number of copies, comprising:

a loading table having a stacking station;

tracks;

linkage means connecting one of said cam followers to said interceptor;

other linkage means connecting the other of said cam followers to said limit stop;

along said cam shaft so as to position said cam fola drum journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis lowers on a selected pair of cam tracks;

adjacent one end of said table; said cam assemblies being operable to actuate said inan idler rotating about an axis parallel to the axis of terceptor and said limit stop in a timed sequence said drum and on the side of said stacking station such that said interceptor opens up gaps in said line opposite said drum; of papers at intervals spaced apart by the predeterone side of said idler and said drum being substantially mined number of papers going into each stack, and tangent to the surface of said loading table; said limit stop engages the leading edge of the first a first endless belt trained around said drum and said paper following each of said gaps and releases the idler, and sliding over the surface of said loading stack when the last paper before the next succeeding table; gap is inserted into the stack.

a second endless j-belt wrapped around one side of said In an apparatus for conveying papers received from drum on top of said first endless belt, said second a machine to a stacking station where said papers are endless belt being trained around a plurality of sets accumulated into stacks of a predetermined number of of rollers; copies, said machine including a belt conveyor disposed said first and second endless belts cooperating to form to receive a continuous line of overlapping papers from a first conveyor having a receiving end at o d said machine, a rotating drum arranged to elevate and inthereof disposed to receive a continuous line of overrt Said line of overlapping papers, intercepting means lapping papers, and a discharge end disposed to demovable into engagement with the leading edge of said liver said papers to said stacking station, said papers paper ahead of said stacking station to hold said papers being initially disposed with the leading edge of a k and thereby Open up a gap in the line of papers, and each paper exposed and overlying the trailing edge a limit stop movable between a retracted position and an of the paper ahead; extended position wherein the leading edges of the papers s id li of papers being inv rted by aid d d are engaged as they are delivered to said stacking station, delivered to said stacking station with the leading thereby pp Said P p and accumulating h am edge of each paper underlying the trailing edge of o a Stack, the improvement comprising: the paper ahead; a cam shaft mounted on said apparatus beneath said a variable speed motor driving one of said sets of rollers, Stacking Station, Said Cam Shaft being loumalled for thereby driving said endless belts and said drum; rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of said a second conveyor belt having the delivery end thereof drum;

pivoted on said apparatus closely adjacent the receivmeans for driving Said Cam Shaft at SPeed that is a i g d f aid fi t conveyor, th receiving d f function of the rotational speed of said drum; said second belt conveyor being adjustable in height to a pair of. axially spaced cams mounted on aid cam permit alignment with the delivery conveyor of said h each f Said Cams having at least One Station; machine; a pair of cam followers riding on said cams, each of said means driving said second belt conveyor from said first Cam fOHOWerS i lud ng a lever arm pivoted at one conveyor; end for vertical swinging movement, and having a a jogger on id nd b lt conveyor engageable ith roller journaled thereon intermediate its ends, said the line of papers carried thereon to align said papers Teller riding on associated i h respect to one h the free end of one of said lever arms being connected an interceptor positioned above said second belt conto Said limit Step, whereby the latter is momentarily veyor beyond said jogger and movable into engage retracted and then restored to its extended position ment periodically with the leading edge of Said as the can station passes under said cam follower; papers to hold Said papers and thereby Open up gaps said intercepting means including a rotatable shaft supin the line of papers, ported above said belt conveyor and extending trans- 1 across the lattera limit stop movable between a retracted position and vlerse y h f 1 an extended position wherein the leading edges of the a zggg ggggf mg Sal s a t and rotatab a Wlth Papas are lingaged as they dehvered to said a stop limiting the rotational movement of said sleeve stacking station, thereby stopping the papers and acin one direction; cumulatmg the Same Into a Smek, sa1d Papers bemg a driving connection between said shaft and the free inserted by said first conveyor into the stack at the end of the other of said lever arms whereby said bottom end there f; shaft is oscillated through a limited angular travel means for dlsehafglng a 1 0f 211T downwardly agalllst when the roller on said other lever arm passes over the top surface of said papers adjacent the base of a cam station on i associated the Stack, thereby raising Said Stack Slightly and faeilimeans permitting a limited amount of lost-motion rotating insertion of P p into the bottom thereof; tational movement between said sleeve and said a rotatable cam shaft having a pair of axially spaced shaft, whereby said oscillatory movement of said cam assemblies slidably mounted on said shaft for shaft by said cam follower causes said sleeve and rotation therewith, each of said cam assemblies havsaid shaft to turn together until said sleeve engages ing a plurality of axially spaced cam tracks provided said limit stop, after which said shaft turns with rethereon; spect to said sleeve;

said cam tracks having varying numbers of equidisat least one rod attached to said sleeve and extending tantly Spaced Cam Stations; downwardly therefrom and in the direction of travel a cam follower associated with each of said cam asof the papers on said belt conveyor;

semblies, and adapted to ride on one of said cam said rod having a finger pivoted on the free end thereof for swinging movement in the vertical plane between a first position substantially parallel to said rod, and a second position at an angle thereto, wherein said finger projects downwardly toward said belt conveyor;

3,327,597 13 14 link means connecting said finger to said shaft, whereby References Cited relative movement between said sleeve and said shaft UNITED STATES PATENTS causes said finger to be swung from one of said positions to the other; and 1, 66,738 5/1918 Wood 93-933 spring means yieldingly holding said rod away from said 5 2708863 5/1955 Payne belt conveyor. FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING PAPERS RECEIVED FROM A MACHINE TO A STACKING STATION WHERE SAID PAPERS ARE ACCUMULATED INTO STACKS OF A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF COPIES, SAID MACHINE INCLUDING A BELT CONVEYOR DISPOSED TO RECEIVE A CONTINUOUS LINE OF OVERLAPPING PAPERS FROM SAID MACHINE, A ROTATING DRUM ARRANGED TO ELEVATE AND INVERT SAID LINE OF OVERLAPPING PAPERS, AN INTERCEPTOR MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID PAPER AHEAD OF SAID STACKING STATION TO HOLD SAID PAPERS BACK AND THEREBY OPEN UP A GAP IN THE LINE OF PAPERS, AND A LIMIT STIP MOVABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION AND AN EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN THE LEADING EDGES OF THE PAPERS ARE ENGAGED AS THEY ARE DELIVERED TO SAID STACKING STATION, THEREBY STOPPING SAID PAPERS AND ACCUMULATING THE SAME INTO A STACK, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A ROTATABLE CAM SHAFT; A PAIR OF CAM ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED ON SAID CAM SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, EACH OF SAID CAM ASSEMBLIES HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED CAM TRACKS PROVIDED THEREON; SAID CAM TRACK HAVING VARYING NUMBERS OF EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED CAM STATIONS; A CAM FOLLOWER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CAM ASSEMBLIES AND ADAPTED TO RIDE ON ONE OF SAID CAM TRACKS; LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTING ONE OF SAID CAM FOLLOWERS TO SAID INTERCEPTOR; 